Holder for glass cutter



June 30, 1959 v c. c. COLEMAN 2,892,291

HOLDER FOR GLASS CUTTER Filed May 14, 1956 INVENTOR.

new/ms c. COLIMHA/ 'Arro/me'rs United States Patent HOLDER FOR GLASSCUTTER Cephas C. Coleman, St. Louis, Mich.

Application May 14, 1956, Serial No. 584,582

7 Claims. (Cl. 49-52) This invention relates to glass cutters andparticularly to a holder for manual or hand type glass cutters.

Conventional manual or hand type glass cutters are provided with a headhaving a scoring or cutting member thereon and a handle by which thecutter is manually gripped. In order to facilitate the manual grippingof the cutter by the user, the handle is usually provided with aflattened portion whereby it can be gripped between the thumb and one ormore fingers. In using such a cutter, it is diflicult to obtain an evenand uniform depth cut in the glass. In addition, the glass cutter mustbe gripped tightly and the effort requiredlto use the cutter may beconsiderable.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a holder for aglass cutter whereby the cutter may be firmly gripped by the user.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a holderwhereby the glass cutter may be used with a minimum of effort by theuser.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a holder whichmay be easily applied or removed to the cutter.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a holder whichmay be readily adjusted to .accommodate variations in the size of theglass cutter or other discrepancies in size between the holder and theglass cutter.

In the drawings: 7 p

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the glass cutter and holder inassembled relationshipr Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figs. 3 and 4 represent the relative positions of the glass cutter andholder during assembly and disassembly thereof.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the glass cutter and holderas theyare used to cut glass.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in Fig. 2. Y r

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 in Fig. 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, a conventional glass cutter comprises a head10 and a handle 11 extending rearwardly from the head 10. Head 10 is ofgenerally rectangular cross section and has a greater height thanthickness. Top edge 12 of head 10 is generally fiat (Fig. 5). A cuttingelement 13, such as a hardened wheel, is rotatably mounted in the outerend 14 of head 10 and end 14 is inclined downwardly and inwardly fromtop edge 12 of the cutter. Head 10* may also be provided with amultiplicity of teeth 15 in the lower edge thereof which are used togrip the marginal edges of the glass and facilitate its breaking along astraight line after being scored by the cutting wheel 13.

Handle 11 is connected to head 10 at the rear end thereof. End section16 of handle 11 adjacent head 10 is generally flat and wide, thethickness thereof being several times less than theheight of head 10(Fig. 1). The sides of end section 16 diverge toward head 10 andconverge toward central section 17 of the handle. The

2,892,291 Patented June 30, 1959 cross section of central section 17 ofhandle 11 is generally oval or rectangular, as shown in Fig. 7. Handle11 then diverges from central section .17 toward the end. The portion ofhandle 11 between central section 17 and the outer end has a generallycircular cross sec tion. Head 10 and handle 11 are connected by curvedportions 18, 19 which extend between flat end section 16 and the top andbottom edges of head 10, respectively.

Top and bottom surfaces of end section 16 of the handle provide afinger-engaging portion. .A holder 20 is provided in contact with theflat finger-engaging section 16. Holder 20 is made of a single piece ofresilient sheet metal such as aluminum and comprises a .flat centralportion 21which extends along the top surface of end section 16 ofhandle 11. Central portion 21 of holder 20 has substantially the sameshape as end section 16. A lip 22 extends along one edge of centralportion 21 and an inwardly turned flange 23 extends along the other edgethereof and encircles end section 16 of handle 11.

Holder 20 generally encircles flat section 16 of handle 11 except for adiagonal slot 24 between lip 22 and the edge of flange 23. The minimumwidth W of slot 24 is less than the diameter D of the part of handle 11between central section 17 and the outer end but is greater thanthickness T of central section 17 (Figs. 2, 4 and 7).

The holder thus includes a first portion, at the end of flange 23 whichis adjacent head 10, defining an enlarged resting area for the middlefinger of an operator and a second portion 24a defining a thumb-engagingsurface.

A tab 25 extends outwardly from inwardly turned flange 23 and contactscurved portion 19 at the area of juncture of head 10 and handle 11.Holder 20 is also provided with a tab 26 which extends outwardly fromcentral portion 21 and contacts top edge 12 of head 10.

Referring to Fig. 5, the glass cutter with the holder attached may bereadily gripped by the user by placing the thumb against tab 25 and themiddle finger against tab 26. The glass cutter may then be readily movedalong the surface of a sheet of glass S, causing scoring wheel 13 to cuta line in the surface of the sheet. The holder permits the glass cutterto be more readily gripped and a. minimum of efiort is required to movethe cutter along the surface of the glass.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, holder 26 may be removed from the cutter bymoving the cutter bodily to the left relative to the holder; and, ascentral section 17 of the cutter handle approaches the narrowest portionof slot 24, the cutter is rotated relative to the holder, permitting thecutter to be slipped out of the holder through slot 24. As previouslymentioned, the width of slot 24 at the narrowest point is less than thediameter D of the portion of the handle extending between the centralsection 17 and the outer end of the handle; but the width is greaterthan the thickness T of the central section 17. By this construction, itis impossible to remove the holder merely by moving the glass cutterrelative to the holder; it is also necessary to rotate the cutter 90relative to the holder. This construction prevents the holder frombecoming inadvertently detached from the cutter.

The holder may be again applied to the cutter by the reverse procedure,namely, inserting the central section 17 of the cutter handle throughslot 24, as shown in Fig. 4, and rotating the cutter 90 relative to theholder, bringing end section 16 into the position shown in Fig. 3 andthereafter moving the cutter to the right relative to the holder tobring lip 22 and inturned flange 23 into contact with central section 16of the cutter handle. Since the holder is made of spring material,curved portion 24 applies a spring pressure to top edge 12 of the cutterhead and thereby maintains the holder in position 3 on the glass cutter.The gripping force may be readily adjusted by bending curved portion 24arelative to central portion 21 of the holder. Such an adjustment may benecessary to accommodate variations in the size of the cutteror otherdiscrepancies in size between the holder and glass cutter.

It can thus be seen that I have provided a holder which may be easilyand readily applied or removed and which provides a means for firmlygripping the glass cutter. With the holder attached, the glass cuttermay be used with a minimum of effort providing a uniform cutting. Theholder may be manufactured at low cost and is so constructed that it canbe readily adjusted to accommodate variations in the size of glasscutters. The holder may be made of metal or plastic.

Iclairnz l. The combination comprising a glass cutter having a head anda handle connected to one end of Said head, said head being generallyrectangular in cross section, a cutting element rotatably mounted on theother end of said head, said handle having a finger-engaging portionadjacent said head, said finger-engaging portion comprising generallyflat parallel surfaces extending generally longitudinally of said handlewith the edges thereof converging toward the central portion of thehandle away from said head, the portion of said handle between thecentral portion thereof and the end thereof being generally circular anddiverging, a holder removably mounted on said glass cutter andcomprising a complementary portion encircling said finger-engagingportion of the handle, said holder including a first portion thereofoverlying said head, said first portion being greater in width than saidhead and providing a finger-engaging surface, a second portion thereofunderlying the handle, said second portion being greater in width thansaid head and providing a thumb-engaging surface, said fingerengagingsurfaces being generally parallel to each other and generally parallelto the axis of rotation of said cutting element.

2. The combination comprising a glass cutter having a head and a handleconnected to one end of said head, said head being generally rectangularin cross section, a cutting element rotatably mounted on the other endof said head, said handle having a finger-engaging portion adjacent saidhead, said finger-engaging portion comprising generally flat parallelsurfaces extending generally longitudinally of said handle with theedges thereof converging toward the central portion of the handle awayfrom said head, the portion of said handle between the central portionthereof and the end thereof being generally circular and diverging, aholder removably mounted on said glass cutter and comprising acomplementary portion encircling said finger-engaging portion of thehandle, a first portion extending from said complementary portionoverlying said head, said first portion being greater in width than saidhead and providing a finger-engaging surface, a second portion extendingfrom said complementary portion underlying the handle, said secondportion being greater in width than said head and providing athumb-engaging surface, said finger-engaging surfaces being generallyparallel to each other and generally parallel to the axis of rotation of'said cutting element, and a finger-engaging tab extending outwardlyfrom each said portion, said first portion of said holder applying ayielding force to the head of said cutter. 3. The combination set forthin claim 2 including a slot' extending diagonally of said encirclingportion whereby said holder may be removed from said glass cutter byshifting said holder longitudinally relative to said glass holder awayfrom said head, twisting said holder relative to said glass cutter andmoving said glass cutter through said slot away from said holder.

4. The combination comprising a glass cutterhaving a head and a handleconnected to one end of said head,

said head being generally rectangular in cross section, a cuttingelement rotatably mounted on the other end of said head, said handlehaving a finger-engaging portion adjacent said head, saidfinger-engaging portion comprising generally flat parallel surfacesextending generally longitudinally of said handle with the edges thereofconverging toward the central portion of the handle away from said head,the portion of said handle between the central portion thereof and theend thereof being generally circular and diverging, a holder ofresilient material removably mounted on said glass cutter and comprisinga complementary portion encircling said finger-engaging portion of thehandle, said complementary portion comprising a central portion havingdiverging edges, a lip extending along one edge of said central portion,a flange extending along the other edge of said central portion andhaving a partthereof parallel to, spaced from" and overlying saidcentral portion, the longitudinal edge of said flange being spaced fromthe free edge of said lip to define a diagonally extending slot throughwhich the handle of a glass cutter may be passed in order to mount theholder on a glass cutter, a first portion extending from the centralportion of said complementary portion, said first portion being greaterin width than said head and providing a finger-engaging surface parallelto the axis of rotation of said cutting element, a second portionextending from said flange of the complementary portion underlying thehandle, said second portion being greater inwidth than said head andproviding a thumb-engaging surface parallel to the axis of rotation ofsaid cutting element, said finger-engaging surface being spacedlaterally from said complementary portion, said thumb-engaging portionlying in substantially the same plane as the complementary portion.

5. A holder for a glass cutter having a head, a handle and a cuttingelement rotatably mounted on the head, which holder comprises a centralportion having diverging edges, a lip extending along one edge of saidcentral portion, a flange extending along the outer edge of said centralportion and having a part thereof parallel to, spaced from and overlyingsaid central portion, whereby said holder may be mounted on a cutterwith said lip, central portion and flange encircling the handle of thecutter, said holder including a first portion extending longitudinallyfrom the central portion of the holder and defining a surface parallelto and spaced from the plane of the central portion which surfaceprovides an enlarged resting area for the middle finger of an operator,said holder including a second portion extending longitudinally of theholder from said part of the flange which is parallel to the centralportion of the holder and in the same direction as the first portion ofthe holder, said second portion defining a thumb-engaging surface, a tabextending outwardly from the end of said first portion and another tabextending outwardly from the end of said second portion.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, said flange having a freelongitudinal edge and said lip having a free longitudinal edge, thelongitudinal edge of said flange being spaced from the free edge of saidlip to define a diagonally extending slot through which the handle of aglass cutter may be passed in order to mount holder on a glass cutter.

7. A holder for a glass cutter having a head, a handle and a cuttingelement rotatably mounted on the head, which holder comprises anencircling portion for mounting the holderon the handle of the glasscutter, a first portion extending from said encircling portion andadapted to overlie the head of the glass cutter, said first portionhaving a substantial width greater than the head of the glas scutter tothereby provide an enlarged fingerengaging surface overlying the head ofthe glass cutter, and a second portion extending from said encirclingportion and displaced longitudinally relative to said first portion,said second portion being of substantial width to thereby provide anenlarged thumb-engaging surface parallel to and spaced laterally andlongitudinally from said finger-engaging surface formed by said firstportion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS LloydDec. 2, 1890

